The 'acute' ageism problem hurting young workers



We think of ageism as an issue affecting older workers. But experts say it's hitting young workers harder than ever.
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Leia was fresh out of college when began working as a member of a business-development team at a mid-size tech company. Though her skills had earned her the job, she was the youngest person in the team. “Everybody else was pretty much twice my age,” she says. Leia went into the job with gusto, identifying inefficiencies and suggesting how to streamline things. Some of those working above her didn’t like that.

“I exhibited ‘too much ambition’ in the eyes of my superiors,” she says. “I heard about comments being made behind my back. There were a couple times when my superiors referred to my age right in front of me, saying I was too young: ‘What does a 23-year-old know about these things?’”

Leia, whose surname is being withheld for privacy concerns, tried to change things by altering her appearance at work. “It was like, what can I do to mitigate them not taking me seriously? I changed the way I dressed. I tried to dress older, more ‘ladylike’. I changed my mannerisms and tried to act older,” she says. “It worked, to an extent.” The comments about her age and perceived inexperience lessened, but Leia says she still felt like her growth potential was limited. She left the company soon after. pg slot game

What Leia experienced was ageism, traditionally seen as something only older people face. For instance, older workers might be judged based on assumptions that they won’t fit into a progressive office dynamic or learn technology as quickly. That phenomenon certainly exists; a US study showed that nearly two-thirds of workers aged 45 and older had seen or experienced age discrimination. But younger workers face age discrimination, too. In fact, new research shows it may actually be the youngest team members who are bearing the brunt of workplace ageism right now, potentially impacting on their careers.

Reverse ageism is real – and worse than ever

There’s no question age discrimination is a problem affecting older workers, says Michael North, an assistant professor of management and organisations at New York University’s Stern School of Business. “But doesn’t it cut both ways? The answer is a resounding yes,” he says.

According to data from a study to be published in August in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, co-authored with Stéphane P Francioli, North says it could be argued that ageism is “a slightly worse problem targeting the young”.

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